Division 1: The Race For The Prize
Perhaps the hardest to call of all the leagues in New World Order, Division 1 is approaching its halfway point, and who will be challenging for what is beginning to become clear. We've already taken a look at some of those who need to up their game to avoid the drop, so now it's time to check out some of those who are in the running for a place in the top 4, and therefore entry into the SMFA Champions Cup, as well as who could be crowned the the first ever NWO Division 1 champions.
After a rocky start that saw them win just 1 of their first 6 games, Kashima Antlers have been steadily climbing the table thanks to a number of draws and narrow victories. This will no doubt be pleasing to their manager Mr Eureka, although he needs to find a way of converting those draws to wins, and controlling games rather than scraping through. Young Italian striker Domenico Berardi has been on fine form, but veteran forwards Lisandro Lopez and Samual Eto'o have chipped in with only 2 goals each. If they can find their shooting boots then Kashima Antlers can look forward to top 4 at least.
One of 3 teams currently on 26 points, Mick Oldfield's Melbourne Victory side have endured mixed fortunes so far, including an excellent six-game unbeaten run, but also suffered consecutive defeats on more than one occasion. With what is on paper one of the weakest sides in the league (their first choice keeper is 82-rated Julian Pollersbeck) it's a testament to their manager that they've done so well. Their next 6 games are all against clubs below them, so they'll be hoping for another winning streak to put the pressure on the leaders.
At one point it seemed that Aberdeen would be the team to beat this season, as they went unbeaten in their first 8 games to take their spot in the top 2. Just one win in their last 7 has seen them slide down to 5th, so La Revolution needs to find that spark that made them look so unstoppable a few weeks ago. A lack of goals appears to be the problem, and we have to go down to the bottom half of the table to find a team who've scored fewer. Misfiring Brazilian Rodrigo Lima will miss the next 2 games through injury, so maybe now's the time to look at bolstering that attack.
Like most teams in Division 1, it hasn't been completely smooth running for Zamalek SC despite them now occupying fourth place. A decent start has been followed by the odd glitch when better might have been expected from a team including the likes of Mario Gomez and Yohan Cabaye. They seem to have found their feet though, and will be expected to be strong challengers for a top 4 spot. Manager Kev Wright will be looking for his experienced players to hold their form for another couple of seasons until their promising youth team players are ready to make the step up.
Under the capable hands of B-Mart, Dinamo Tblisi have done just what would be expected of such a strong squad. Their great start may have been sullied by recent blips against FC Tokyo and Sydney FC, but overall they've been consistent and have the best defensive record in the league, as well as the second highest tally of goals scored. German striker Alexander Meier has been their talisman with 7 goals and 4 assists in his 13 games. His absence through injury for the defeat against Sydney perhaps tells it's own story, but if Tblisi can keep their players fit then they have to be looked at as genuine title contenders.
With just one league defeat all season, Yokohama F Marinos are also proving themselves to be strong contenders for the title, but with highly rated players including Bastian Schweinsteiger and Stefan de Vrij amongst their ranks this is no big surprise. Original manager Thumbs Up built an impressive squad and set things up nicely before his departure, and new boss Warren Uden has continued their success with wins in his first 2 games. Boasting the highest total squad value in the division at over 85m, the Japanese team could be a force to be reckoned with for many seasons to come.
Sitting pretty and making themselves comfortable in first place are Mamelodi Sundowns, and their position looks unlikely to change any time soon. With a solitary league defeat all season, Michael Hudon's side have been the league's pacemakers and the team to beat for everyone else. With the free-scoring Givanildo Hulk leading their line, they look almost unstoppable. A four- point cushion at the summit means things are in their own hands, although there's a long way to go yet. The chasing pack are relying on them slipping up, but their form shows slips are a rarity. An average squad age of 32 might mean that changes will need to be made for the coming seasons, but for now they'll be focused on showing the rest of Division 1 who's boss.
